litur

Faroese

Picture dictionary

litur

reyður

reyðgulur

gulur

grønur

bláur

viólbláur

svartur

gráur

hvítur

Click on labels in the image

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːtʊɹ/

  Rhymes: -iːtʊɹ

Etymology 1

From Old Norse litr, from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz (“appearance, look, aspect”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to see”).

Noun

litur m (genitive singular litar, plural litir)

1. colour
2. (at sheep, etc.) coloured stain
3. colour (stuff to paint with)
4. political point of view

Declension

Declension of litur (m12)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	litur	liturin	litir	litirnir
accusative	lit	litin	litir	litirnar
dative	liti	litinum	litum	litunum
genitive	litar	litarins	lita	litanna

Related terms

• bláur (“blue”)
• grønur (“green”)
• gulur (“yellow”)
• hvítur (“white”)
• reyður (“red”)
• svartur (“black”)

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra, “a Sicilian coin, a measure of weight”). Related to Latin libra.

Noun

litur m (genitive singular liturs, plural litrar)

1. liter, litre

Declension

Declension of litur (m19)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	litur	liturin	litrar	litrarnir
accusative	litur	liturin	litrar	litrarnar
dative	litri	litrinum	litrum	litrunum
genitive	liturs	litursins	litra	litranna

Icelandic

Picture dictionary

litur

rauður

appelsínugulur

gulur

grænn

blár

fjólublár

svartur

grár

hvítur

Click on labels in the image

Etymology

From Old Norse litr, from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz (“appearance, look, aspect”), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to see”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɪːtʏr̥]

  Rhymes: -ɪːtʏr̥

Noun

litur m (genitive singular litar, nominative plural litir)

1. colour

   Þetta er fallegur litur.

   That is a pretty colour.

2. a dye or paint to colour with
3. a marker, crayon or colour pencil
4. complexion, appearance
5. (card games) suit
6. (poker) flush

Declension

Declension of litur (masculine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	litur	liturinn	litir	litirnir
accusative	lit	litinn	liti, litu1	litina
dative	lit	litnum	litum	litunum
genitive	litar	litarins	lita	litanna

¹Archaic or literary.

Derived terms

• litríkur (“colourful”)
• litningur m (“chromosome”)

See also

Colors in Icelandic · litir (layout · text)

hvítur; mjallhvítur	grár	svartur
rauður; fagurrauður, djúprauður	appelsínugulur, gulrauður, órans (dated); brúnn, dökkbrúnn; fölvi, mórauður	gulur; rjómagulur
gulgrænn, mosagrænn	grænn
blágrænn; grænblár	heiðblár, fagurblár, himinblár, safírblár	blár
fjólublár; dimmfjólublár, indígóblár	blárauður; rauðfjólublár (fjólublár), purpuralitur	bleikur

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989) Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “litur”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019) Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “litur” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
• “litur”, in Ritmálssafn Orðabókar Háskólans [The Written Collection of the Lexicological Institute] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, (Can we date this quote?)